Notes

1. The Hedgehog Hunt
A fiddler's jig (John Thomas 1752) is given the Welsh Gipsy harp treatment, and then coupled with the only jig I had from Eldra Jarman. she was the last of the true Welsh Gipsy harpists, a descendant of Abram Wood, King of the Welsh Gipsies, and great-grand-daughter of John Roberts Telnor Cymru, the famous 19th century Welsh Triple Harpist. It was an honour for me to have known her, and a true privelege to have received so much from her. Kindred spirit.

2. Napoleonic Set
A set of tunes dating from the Franco-Cambrian wars of the early 19th century... I had the title and the A-part of the march from the playing of Nansi Richards Telynores Maldwyn, and the rest of it from the manuscripts of John Williams Llanfachraeth, Anglesey, under the title Bonapart's March. John Williams also provided Rowdy Boys, but I had The Return from the collection of harpists Ifan y Gorlan-Evan Jones, Llanrwst. The troops' joy at returning home to Wales after the fighting and the ensuing two years' occupation of Paris is quite apparent in his tune.

3. Gipsy Hornpipes
Two hornpipes from Eldra, with wonderful examples of the technique she called Dyblu, Doubling.
To all friends responsible for and involved in the Edinburgh International Harp Festival and the Clarsach Society. Hoots!

4. Meat and Ale
Two rather captivating Montgomeryshire slip jigs, both quite old, from the fiddler John Thomas's manuscript(1752), which passed eventually to Mary Richards Darowen.

5. Whims
Three cheeky little numbers. The Quack and the Cambro come from English collections from the 1790's, but Griffith's Whim is from A Collection of the Newest and most Fashionable Country Dances and Collections by John Griffith of Providence, Rhode Island, USA (1788), America's earliest known printed dance collection. The book only contains figures, but the fiddler John Turner of, Connecticut (also in 1788) copied a great number of tunes into his commonplace book, fortunately including the Whim.
With thanks to Billie Hockett,
Lexington,MA.

6.Cuckoos
Although I've seen under the stars
the fullness and prowess
of nations,
Good beer and men to tackle it,
and wine along the banks of rivers,
The best drink and the best food,
was given to Meirionnydd.

7. Favourite Jigs
Llancesau comes from the manuscript of E. Mills, a Bandmaster from Montgomeryshire in the Victorian period. He notes 'Montgomeryshire Lasses or the Heroes of Salamanca Q[uick] step'. Helfa comes from one of E.Ylltyr Williams' manuscripts, where he also notes a second name for it, Bodised(a place-name). Deidy comes from Davidson's Musical Miracles, 250 Welsh Airs for a Shilling,1859.
To all my friends out there in the Colonies, Canada, US and Oz, far too many to name!

8. Gipsy Waltzes
Two wonderful Victorian swingers from the inimitable playing of Eldra Jarman. I had snatched of F.G.I from Eldra while she was still alive, and then F.G.II from a recording made of her by Prof. Peter Crossley-Holland. Then I had the complete version of F.G.I from an old BBC programme about Eldra, safely kept (thank goodness!) in St Fagan's Museum. With thanks to Wyn Thomas, UW Bangor; Emma Lile and Meiwen Ruddock, Sain Ffagan; and Liz Veasey, BBC Wales.

9. Abergenni
Abergenni (from Playford's Dancing Master, 1657) was well-known during the Cromwellian Civil War. One Captain Gwynne, a Cavalier in the King's forces, tells of how they broke the siege of Devizes 'singing this lively tune'.

William Phillip comes from Llewelyn Alaw's collection of unpublished Welsh airs that took the prize of £10-0-0 and Medal at the Llangollen Eisteddfod 1858. To Nancy Carlin, California

10. Alabaina Wood
There are several sources amongst the manuscripts for the Coedwigwyr, obviously therefore a very popular tune in the North. It couples nicely with a (surprisingly relaxed) polka from Eldra's playing, which I've named after one of her forebears.
 
11. The Magi Jig
A jig composed by my dear friend Ange Hauck of Wurzburg, Germany, for a dance performed on the Feast of the Epiphany, hence the title. Ange also plays the traditional Franconian bagpipe and the hurdy-gurdy,as well as the harp,and you might be able to hear these instruments in this arrangement.

12. The Meirionnydd Minuets
E. Ylltyr Williams, Dolgellau believed these to be early compositions by John Williams Dolgellau, Ioan Rhagfyr, 1740-1821. But considering the deliberately chromatic nature of Nannau and the proximity of both places to Llanfachreth, the name Elis Sion Siamas can't help but spring to mind.He was the first to make a Triple Harp in Wales, so would it be too much to believe these tunes might be his compositions? If so, they would count as some of the earliest examples of Welsh Music for the Triple Harp.
With thanks to Rhidian Griffiths, NLW.

13. Crasdant Jigs
A re-visitation to some of my own compositions which my band Crasdant recorded on our two albums Not Yet Saturday and The Geat Noise.
I deliberately wrote them all to be played on the harp. Huw Williams came up with the first two titles.

14. Flash Hornpipes
I think Llewelyn Alaw must have had his picture taken sometime,... and there had to be a title track, so I wrote one. With all its ups, downs, bends, turns, slides, glides, and twists of fate, make of it what you will. It's been a good 20 years!